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The hotel does not offer breakfast or parking as... - Review of aloft New York Brooklyn

Where do I start? Well.. I book a lot of hotels using priceline for one night on 11/30-12/1 . I booked this one with priceline as well. The hotel does not offer breakfast or parking as opposed to many other hotels in the Brooklyn area. I found better options and I contacted the hotel to see what the cancellation policy was. I was told it was 48 hours. I was out of that 48 hours, so I contacted priceline to have it cancelled. When priceline contacted the hotel, they were told that third party sites (expedia, priceline, etc) have a 72 hour cancellation policy, so since I was outside the 48 hours, but inside the 72 hours, it could not be cancelled. I really don't undestand why guests are treated different just based on where they book their reservation. I had the idea that treating people different was something from the past... it still happens.

I had no other choice but to stay there. I contacted the hotel the morning of my check in to arrange for 2 beds since I was traveling with a family member. I was told there was a $20 charge for getting 2 beds. I have stayed at other hotels in New York including Manhattan and at well known hotel chains and have never experienced a problem or charge when asking for 2 beds. I wanted to speak to a manager. The manager never picked up the phone, but the front desk agent told me it was going to be waived.

We checked in around 8pm. I was given a room on the 21st floor. When the elevator doors opened, the music was so loud. I walked in the room, put my bag down. I could hear everything that the person next door was talking, and like many other reviews, just a normal conversation can be heard from the room next door clearly. There is no sense of privacy at all. I went outside, asked an employee about the music. I was told it was until 2am. Went inmediately downstairs to request another room. I don't know how someone could be ok with a room up there with the music so loud. I'm young and I do enjoy partying, but sometimes you just want to get some rest. I'm a manager in the customer service industry as well... I dont know who wouldn't mind that music until 2am. I believe the hotel is loosing revenue from at least 4 or 5 floors of rooms. Don't forget those walls are paper thin.

I got a new room with no problems on the 13th floor. Again another room where I even heard the guy next door sneeze. It was room 1301 or 1303. It did face the back of the hotel. I was up by 6 am after going to sleep well pass midnight. I could hear everything on the TV from the person next door. He had ESPN on and at normal volume. He made a call on his phone and kept sneezing. Then at 7am, a hydraulic hammer from the construction next door. What a nightmare. I booked this hotel trying to stay away from Manhattan and the crow, but it was actually worst. I got no rest at all. Instead of enjoying the trip, it was one of those times that you can't wait to get home. There is no privacy in the rooms at all. Upon reading some reviews here, I realized all double rooms are connecting rooms. That is a huge problem!!!!!

Now parking. Another nightmare. Vic's has a monopoly over parking. Again, look for other options in Brooklyn. There are many hotels with complimentary breakfast and parking. Parking here was $25 for self and $39 for valet. Please realize that Brooklyn is not Manhattan!I asked the front desk where else I could park. Good luck if you get an answer. They don't even provide any other ideas or suggestions other than Vic's. I did refuse to park with Vic's. They have a monopoly there at night since they are of the of the few open and maybe the closest to the hotel. You still have to walk about 2 blocks to get to their lot. I checked the signs on the street and park on the street for free. Just keep an eye on which side you can park on for that night. As long as you pick your car up before 9am, you dont have to pay. The hotel should have options for guests, not just Vic's. There are plenty of lots around.

The hotel itself looks nice. The rooms are very small, but ok. Everything has been designed properly. I did not encounter any big issues with service, other than the front desk agent refusing to offer any other ideas for parking. Now, if you want to get some rest, this is really NOT the place for you. The privacy at all and construction noise since 7am. There are other options in Brooklyn with breakfast and parking included.

I noticed management have answered to some reviews.. I really don't see what they have done for customers with bad experiences.. but it is what it is. From my end, I think I'm entitled to at least a refund for half of what I paid for my stay. I think I deserved it after having such a bad experience and getting no rest at all because of the paper thin dividers between rooms. (I wouldn't call that a wall)Management should also come up with solutions to address the privacy and noise issues between rooms. It will make stays a lot better for guests.

By the way, I emailed the hotel directly over a week ago and still haven't heard from anybody. At least at my company, we follow up with guests.....

Stayed December 2012, traveled on business

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Ask DV V about aloft New York Brooklyn

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 18, 2012

Dear DV V,

I wanted to reach out to you and first of all thank you for your comments regarding you stay with us here at the Aloft Hotel in Brooklyn. Comments from guests, both good and bad, are always shared with the staff and management so they know how to better serve our guests. I must apologize though as I can see your stay was not what you thought is was going to be.

Our cancellation policy is 48 hours and I don't understand why Priceline would tell you its 72. I will be contacting them to find out what the communication error is. There also appears to be many other aspects of the hotel you didn't like and I apologize for all of those areas.

We understand that our hotel is not the typical NYC hotel and cater to the young and young at heart, this explains our music, food selection and decor. We do however offer breakfast at the hotel and unlike a few other hotels, it is not complimentary. Our location also prohibits us from offering complimentary parking, but we do offer self and valet parking through Vics Parking around the corner from the hotel.

Again, please accept my apologies for your experience at our hotel. I will be sharing your comments with the manager and staff this week.

Hoping you have a great holliday and a wonderful new year.

Best Regards,Karl

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Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

I was a bit apprehensive to stay at this hotel based on other reviews, but we had a good experience. I am a Starwood Good member and I am usually more a fan of the W and Westin, but I found this hotel to fit the bill. I was able to utilize points so the stay was free and I was able to ck in early and check out late which was helpful. I want to recognize Lauren at the front desk she was very helpful acclimating us to the area etc. She also had a great bubbly personality which I enjoyed. The rooms were very clean and we requested a low floor to keep noise to a minimum based on other reviews. It was nice having free bottled water daily and the snack area was great to grab something to go ( nice breakfast sandwich for $5.50)The location is close to 2 subway lines (red2/3 and express q) which made travel to city easy. Catching a cab was challenging not as easy as we were told on Fulton. Area isn't sketchy at all but subway kinda is.I still prefer stating in Manhattan but for travelers on budget it's a great stay with very comfortable beds. Again, thanks Lauren

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 12, 2012

Dear firelax10,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a comment in tripadvisor. We really do value all guest comments and appreciate your business. It was great to hear you mentioned Lauren, our front desk manager. She truely is an asset to the hotel and will be thrilled you mentioned her name. We hope that in the future you will make our hotel your choice for lodging again. Best wished for a great holiday season and a very happy New Year.

Karl

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1.) This is a great NYC hotel. Trendy, well-located, pretty, convenient. The décor ….. well, it is like living in the love child of an IKEA and a west elm. I loved it (I so want one of those giant white swivel chairs from the lobby!), and it all felt very clean and well-maintained. The rooms are compact but cleverly designed, and I always felt like there was enough space and never had a problem with noise. And the pillows were AWESOME. The bar in the lobby is nice, and the breakfast spread is great - DELICIOUS bagels, great lattes, and muffins that are *killer* (and I don't even like muffins). Tip: if you go green and skip on housekeeping, you get a voucher that will cover breakfast (or you get 500 Starwood points).

2.) I loved the location. Right over the Brooklyn Bridge, central to everything via Subway, in a little bustling neighborhood that is busy during the day, quiet at night, and yet still only 10 minutes from the adorableness of Smith Street. (Yes, I saw some reviews saying that they didn't feel 100% safe... and I'm wondering if those people have never before been to a real, actual city, or if they are just straight up crazy?) I never once even felt unsafe; it's a great neighborhood with tons of friendly people. A little quiet at night, sure, but that meant better sleep and it was never ever “frightening.”

3.) DYLAN!!!! The staff at this hotel is generally pretty ok, but Dylan was a customer service standout of a lifetime - he is PHENOMENAL. Ultra friendly, MASSIVELY competent, super helpful - he extended rooms, handled our billing, arranged for birthday surprises for my coworker (and also helped her escape from some overeager birthday well-wishers at the bar later!), knew where to get ANYTHING, greeted us in the morning, made us laugh, took an interest in us, remembers everyone's name, and was generally was the highlight of the hotel. (Also, he is that chipper despite still being in school full-time... I don't know where he gets the energy!) I’d love it if he could just follow me around and make life better. Give that man a giant raise and a gold star, Aloft - he is amazing.

Recap: Great hotel but staff made the difference. Will come back just for Dylan.

Room Tip: Ask for the river view!

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Stayed November 2012, traveled on business

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Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 12, 2012

Dear kdianb,

What a fantastic review! Thank you so much for the kind words on our hotel and about your stay. Most of all, thank you for mentioning Dylan. He is fantastic at what he does and truely, your words show that. This could very well be why he made Employee of the Year this year.

I'm thrilled you had a great stay and appreciate the great review you gave us. The staff here really cares and when they are able to see reviews lilke yours, it truely does motivate them to excell.

Thanks again for your time and your business. Here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday season and the best of a New Year!

Karl

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I dont want to go into too much detail about the issue, it is really the way my issue was handled. Service? Everyone that works here acts as if the guests are a complete nuance and that we should be calling the dry cleaner that they outsource or making our own reservations, checking in our rooms, you name it....which is exactly how i felt. read the other reviews, almost all of them say "its a nice room, good price, but service stinks"

Trust us....service stinks. Try these options: Hotel Indigo / Marriott Brooklyn or even the one right next door.

Room Tip: pick a different hotel

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Stayed December 2012, traveled on business

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Ask jmrecchi about aloft New York Brooklyn

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Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 12, 2012

Dear jmrecchi,

Please accept my deepest apologies for your most recent stay with us. I'm actually beside myself to read such a negative review pertaining to the service our staff offers. No matter how you booked your room or who you booked it through, all of our guests should be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. It's very apparent by your review we failed in that respect.

Please know that I will be checking in to your experience you had and working with the General Manager and desk staff to find out what went wrong. While the staff always loves a great review in tripadvisor, we also understand that we learn from our mistakes allowing us to better train staff to render better service.

I must state that our area of Downtown Brooklyn is going through a massive renovation project and fresh new buildings are coming up in the neighborhood. Directly behind our hotel, while you were here, were the remains of an older building being removed. I do truely apologize for the experience you had. A new Brooklyn is spring up around us and exciting things in the neighborhood are happening.

Again, please accept my apology on your experience here and trust I will be investigating.

Best Regards and wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 2013! I do hope you will give us a try again if your travels take you this direction.

Karl

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My husband booked ( Expedia) a king room with view for our getaway in NYC/Brooklyn. See the pic for full effect of VIEW! The view was so unpleasant that we closed the cheap vinyl blinds (that kept coming off track) which made the small room feel like a cave. To speak to apathetic staff, you must wait and wait in a queue that makes no sense. Immediately the hotel staff I spoke with placed the blame on expedia for the wrong booking. She offered no joy. No resolution. No apologies. No refund. Never once offered to put us in another room. My husband, with all the paperwork showing what we paid for, went to the same front desk staff a second time to ask for help. The blame was pushed back on to expedia, and the staff offered no remedy. The hotel says expedia is at fault we didn't get the room we paid for and offered no help in resolving..and an expedia representative says it is the hotel's fault and will do nothing to resolve. In order that equity be met, I did appreciated the rooms had recycling bins. Cool green thing to do. Room service food is provided by the hotel next door, so food is brought to the room in reusable or recyclable packaging. In the shower, shampoo and soap dispensers eliminate gazillions of wee little plastic bottles. Another nice green touch. Bed linens, duvet, and towels were good and clean. Rare for a hotel experience, especially when your room is near both the elevator and the stairs, that noise was not an issue. The room was small but cleverly designed and the bathroom area quite well designed. BUT, no room, anywhere, is worth the horrid treatment, wretched view and staff that laugh and smirk rather than providing assistance. Never again, Aloft.

Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple

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Ask DonnaEverhart about aloft New York Brooklyn

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Our first time at an Aloft hotel - although we did stay at a few more over the course of this trip. All Aloft hotels are identical using the same cookie cutter design - very small rooms but functional and which allows them to keep rates down in a very expensive city to find decent accommodation. The Aloft in Brooklyn is in an OK neighbourhood - close to a three different subway lines and close to the tkts outlet in Brooklyn. Not sure how safe it it in the evening - got home one night and the streets were pretty much abandoned, two cops were patrolling and we didnt feel 100% safe in a very ethnic diverse neighbourhood. Nevertheless, once we found our bearings we managed to navigate our way quickly back to the hotel from any of the three subway stops

Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple

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Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 12, 2012

Dear JCJT,

Thank you for taking the time to complete a tripadvisor review on our hotel. This area of Brooklyn is experiencing an amazing transformation with new buildings being built, fantastic commercial areas including the Barclay Center opening and a great influx of residential complexes and retail facilities.

It seems that we didn't WOW you during your stay and I apologize for that. It's our intention for every guest to walk through our doors and have an amazing experience each and every time. I do hope that if your travels take you into the Brooklyn area again, you will stay with us.

Many great things are happening in Brooklyn right now and we'd love to show you what we're really made of here.

Have a great holiday season and a fantastic new year to you and yours.

Karl

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Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

The rooms are nice, but there is no view, so don't bother opening the window. Wifi in the rooms is spotty, but there are free computers in the lobby. Rooms have modern furnishings and comfortable beds. There are a few restaurants and shops in walking distance, but Fulton Mall is far from upscale...a little shady late at night.

We booked a room block here for our wedding in October. The sales office must have changed direction 10 times over the course of 6 months, so getting answers to questions was near impossible as we worked on planning. The weekend of our event there were at least 2 other wedding parties in the hotel, so staff used that as the excuse to delay or deny services....such as allowing bridesmaids to come upstairs! They did loan us a large mirror and a barstool for hair and makeup.

For now, I guess this is the best in the neighborhood, but I think lots of people are hoping the Barclays center and new businesses will also bring hotel competition and alternatives.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Karl B, Regional Director of Operations at aloft New York Brooklyn, responded to this review,
December 12, 2012

Dear lesley012,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review of our hotel and your experience in tripadvisor.com. We always appreciate the great comments as well as the negative comments. Both good and bad, we learn from and are able to train our staff to better accommodate our guests.

I do apologize for the spotty internet service you experienced during your stay. I'm hoping you were able to get on line and what you needed with little difficulty. I'm also going to be getting with the desk and management staff as to why a wedding party member was not allowed up stairs. This could have been due to security, but a quick call to the guests room would have resolved that. Please do accept my apologies on behalf of the hotel.

Thank you again for taking the time to write your comments and I would like to wish you a very happy holiday and a wonderful new year for 2013!

Best Regards,Karl

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Just minutes from the Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Manhattan, Aloft Brooklyn offers a hip and exciting accommodation with an urban-influenced design and a social scene that's always a buzz....more less

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